This post is all about the best way you can unwind after a stressful day!
Life nowadays can be so stressful: always rushing from one place to the next, being stuck in traffic or on public transportation, having an exhausting day at work, and coming back home you almost have a second full day. It’s just never-ending. That’s why it is so important every night to take at least some time for yourself to unwind.
It might not always be possible to do the full unwinding “program” every evening, because you might not always have the time or energy. However, you can pick and chose what suits you on that particular evening. It is so very important to listen to your body and mind.
this post is all about the best ways to unwind after a stressful day!
How to unwind after a long day
The importance of a nighttime routine to unwind
Almost all parents I know will tell you that their babies or young children strive on a nighttime routine. By doing the same things every night the child sense that it is time to sleep. The routine sends signals to the body that it can start winding down and destress.
It goes the same way for adults: a good nighttime routine will help you get ready for the perfect night’s sleep.
You’ll find below a list of suggestions to relax both your body and your mind. Feel free to experiment around and find what fits you and your life. Once you find what works for you and you repeat your nighttime routine on a daily basis, your body will learn what it means: to get ready to go to sleep. It will start to produce melatonin (the sleep hormone) which will help you in your winding down process.
Slow the mind down
Let’s start with what you could do to slow down your mind!
First, your will need some time to disconnect from your work-life, especially if you work from home. Because you don’t have a car journey or public transport to give you time to separate work life from home life. Your mind does not realize that it does not need to be in work mode anymore.
The next one will come a no surprise: no screens before bed! No phone, TV, Ipad…you get the idea. These screens emit a blue light that sends the message to your body that it’s time to wake up and start your day. You definitely do not want that at night when it’s time to go to bed. Letting your phone and social media go will give your brain time to digest the day and relax.
To further help your mind relax and find peace, have a look at the space around your bed. Is it cluttered? Do you have a lot of things? If you can clear out the space where you sleep. It will make you feel less pressed before going to bed. Your mind won’t focus on all the things around you. It’ll be able to focus on you and letting go.
To further relax your mind, you could do some gratitude exercise. I’ve been loving the 5 Minute Journal, which has a specific part dedicated to the nighttime routine. It will help you focus your mind on all the wonderful things that happened during the day.
Meditation can be another great tool for helping you unwind. I’ve mentioned a few of my favorite apps with meditation features and Youtube is another great free resource to help you find the perfect nighttime meditation. It’s a great way to destress and help you fall asleep.
Slow the body down
Let’s now have a look at the things you could do to unwind your body before sleep.
A hot shower or bath could be the perfect way to help relax your muscles after a long day. All your tensions will just melt away with the bathwater. Make this shower or bath experience an extra special one: take a bath or shower bomb, light some candles, put some relaxing music in the background, do a face mask. Pamper yourself!
If you are afraid of what you could do once you let go of the TV or your phone: don’t worry! Here is a list of things you could do instead: read a physical book, draw, paint, light stretching, talk with a friend or your partner, walk your dog, listen to music or do any other relaxing activity you could think of.
This post is all about the way to unwind after a long day, body, and mind!
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